1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a single transverse leaf spring suspension for vehicles and incorporates a pair of elastomeric material cushioned mounts releasably clampingly engaged with longitudinally spaced mid-portions of the leaf spring for adjustable positioning therealong and with the mounts and stationary mounting structure supported from an associated vehicle including coacting structure oscillatably supporting the mounts from the mounting structure for angular displacement about generally parallel axes spaced a predetermined distance above the leaf spring and disposed transverse thereto. In addition, the coacting structure is also operative to enable selective adjustment of the mounts longitudinally of the leaf spring mid-portion and corresponding adjustment of the corresponding axes of oscillation longitudinally of the leaf spring and transversely of the associated vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
Year model 1984 and later CORVETTE vehicles utilize single transverse leaf springs for spring suspending the front wheels thereof and longitudinally spaced mid-portions of these leaf springs are cushion mounted through the utilization of elastomeric material from corresponding transversely spaced frame portions of the associated vehicle for oscillation of the cushion mounted mid-portions about front-to-rear extending generally horizontal axes disposed at substantially the horizontal center line of the leaf spring cushion mounted mid-portions. Although this known cushion mounting of the leaf spring is reasonably effective, inasmuch as the leaf spring, when in a static non-flexed position, is upwardly bowed, upward displacement of the opposite end portions of the leaf spring flexes the latter partially toward a substantially straight horizontal condition, thus reducing the bow in the longitudinal center portion of the leaf spring extending between the cushion mounted mid-portions thereof and increasing the effective horizontal distance between those cushion mounted mid-portions. Accordingly, inasmuch as the structures by which the cushion mounted mid-portions of the spring are mounted from the associated vehicle frame portions are rigid with the latter, the increase in effective horizontal distance between the cushion mounted spring mid-portions causes the cushion mounted spring mid-portions to longitudinally shift relative to the mounting structure therefor. This movement of the longitudinally spaced mid-portions of the leaf spring relative to the mounting structures therefor places the elastomeric material utilized in cushion mounting the spring mid-portions to be placed in shear and such operating conditions appreciably reduce the responsiveness of the suspension system, increase ride harshness and reduce speed handling performance.